German Blue Rams ready?

[Tiffi]

My German Blue Rams paired up right after I got them a couple weeks ago. First the male was digging around in the tank, the female always close to him, but today I've recognized that the female is digging a pit in the gravel in the back of the tank.

She has her ovipositor out and has been digging and cleaning all day long now. What can I do? I've never had GBR spawn before?

Do I need to make a pwc? Take the eggs out if they spawn? What do I do with the eggs, all I got is the 70gal in my signature. Will the Dwarf Gourami or the Otos eat the eggs?

 

[Jchillin]

From everything I know about them, they are indeed ready. I would leave them to their own devices for the first couple of tries. They very rarely have success on the first go round but will get it right eventually and do a better job of caring and protecting them.

 

[Tiffi]

The female spawned now and now the guy just has to get there and fertilize the eggs ! But he seems more desinterested (go, or you get flushed - just kidding ). No really, is it normal, that he doesn't go there right away?

 

[Tiffi]

She's going after him now, like hey lets go, come with me - but nothing so far. Should I change a little of the water maybe to get him in the mood?

 

[Jchillin]

Nah...just let them be for now...the temp and ph are already noted by them at this point. She has to get him trained...LOL.

 

[Tiffi]

Is there a way I can distinguish between fertilized and unfertilized eggs?

 

[Jchillin]

Depending on the ability to view them, they should appear slightly opague and beigeish (if beigeish is a word).

Unfertilized eggs will be fungused pretty quickly.

 

[Tiffi]

After the lights went off last night, both the male and the female went to the back of the tank all "snuggling" with each other. I don't know if they fertilized the eggs since it was too dark, but I guess they did.

Today the female is sitting somewhere close to the nest all the time, shooing my endlers a little not to get too close (still very gentle fish though). She fans the eggs, which are still there.

And now just wait ?

 

[gheitman]

You can probably tell if they are done if both the male and female are smoking cigs

 

[Tiffi]

And I was wondering why the water is so cloudy .

The guy took over now looking after the eggs, faning and protecting them. The girl is pretty exausted as it seems. Every now and then she's hanging around behind the filter outlet, moving somewhat, but doesn't really want to eat (normally she takes food out of my hands). This seems to be pretty stressful for the parents and they seem to care more than I thought/have heard!

 

[Jchillin]

Now who told you that German blues did not care? Looks like their 1st attempt is a good one (if in fact the cloudiness was his milt). I guess you will know for sure within the next 48 hours or so.

 

[Tiffi]

So in about 48 hours they are supposed to hatch? I just hope the female will make it, she is really pretty and my absoulute favorite fish of the tank .

Kudos to you JChillin, for all your help!

 

[Jchillin]

4-5 days Tiffi for hatchlings...what I meant was, you will know if the eggs are fertilized within the next 48 hours. The unfertilized eggs will either be eaten or have the tell-tale fungus covering them.

 

[Tiffi]

Well, I couldn't look how something get eaten, cuz my Endlers found the eggs and decides that they taste good! The female watching the eggs was here and there and only came back every now and then.

So I've spend two hours now to get the gravel with eggs sticking to them out of the back of the tank, searching for the tiny eggs and transferring them to a breeding net. Will that be ok? Do I need to do something special to them now?

 

[Jchillin]

I have no first hand knowledge of the procedure, but you can check here for some ideas.

Good luck!

 

[Tiffi]

Oh well, I didn't get all the stuff together for an extra "tank" to put the eggs in, add some malachite blue etc. And now they all have fungus . I'm sure they will do it again, so by then I will transfer the parents to a little breeder tank I will set up.